Sand volleyball’s emergence as an "emerging sport" has seen the new NCAA sport go from 18 schools its inaugural year (2012) to 32 last spring. Almost twice that many schools are expected to field teams next spring.

Hawaii’s roster seems to be on the same growth spurt. This semester there are 16 sand-only players on the 2014 roster, half on scholarship.

At least four indoor players are expected to join them in January. The season starts in March.

At the top of the long list is one of the shortest players. Katie Spieler, a 5-foot-5 sophomore who played No. 1 for UH as a freshman, is now concentrating on the sand. Among those who have joined her are transfers Karissa Cook and Brittany Tiegs and 6-foot-2 Kaiser graduate Hannah Rooks.

Cook was Stanford’s indoor setter in 2011 and led the Pac-12 in double-doubles with 20. She graduated in engineering/design and has one season of eligibility.

Tiegs, a sophomore, sat out last year after transferring from Florida State. She was a 2012 sand volleyball All-American, going 50-7-1 and taking third at nationals.

The team’s booster club is putting on a Portuguese Horseshoe Tournament fundraiser Sunday at Hunakai Park in Kahala from 2:30 to 6 p.m. Along with the tournament, the team will put on demonstrations, there will be prizes, drinks and food, from Rainbow Drive-In and Serg’s Mexican Kitchen, among others. Head coach Scott Wong characterizes it as a "bash for a good cause."

Registration is available at hawaiiathletics.com. Fans can also donate without attending. Donations will be matched up to $25,000 by an anonymous donor.

For more information call assistant coach Danny Alvarez (394-7650) or email Sandvb@hawaii.edu.